CN1890508B - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An outdoor heat exchanger (54), an indoor heat exchanger (55) and adsorption heat exchangers (56, 57) are provided in a refrigerant circuit (40). The indoor heat exchanger (55) is disposed in an indoor unit (11) whereas the outdoor heat exchanger (54) and the two adsorption heat exchangers (56, 57) are disposed in an outdoor unit (12). Moisture of outdoor air taken into the outdoor unit (12) is adsorbed by an adsorbent in the heat exchangers (56, 57) serving as evaporators and the air. The dehumidified air is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger (55) serving as an evaporator before fed into anindoor space.

Description

air conditioner

technical field

The present invention relates to an air-conditioning device that handles sensible heat loads and latent heat loads of indoor spaces.

Background technique

As disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 03/029728), an air conditioner for cooling and dehumidifying an indoor space is conventionally known. This air-conditioning apparatus is equipped with a refrigerant circuit that includes an indoor heat exchanger as a utilization side heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger as a heat source side heat exchanger, and the refrigerant circuit makes the refrigerant freezer cycle. In addition, the above air conditioner sets the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger to be lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, and dehumidifies the indoor space by condensing moisture in the indoor air.

On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 2 (JP-A-7-265649), a dehumidifier including a heat exchanger having an adsorbent on its surface has also been known. This dehumidifier is equipped with two heat exchangers (adsorption heat exchangers) provided with an adsorbent for absorbing and desorbing moisture, one of which dehumidifies the air, and the other performs air regeneration. At this time, the water cooled by the cooling tower is supplied to the adsorption heat exchanger for absorbing moisture, and the warm water is supplied to the regeneration heat exchanger. Furthermore, the above-mentioned dehumidifier supplies dehumidified air to the indoor space through the above-mentioned operation.

Contents of the invention

solve the problem

As described above, in the air-conditioning apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is set lower than the dew point temperature of the indoor air, moisture in the air is condensed to treat the indoor space. latent heat load. In other words, the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air to handle the sensible heat load, however, the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is set at a low value in order to handle the latent heat load . Therefore, there is a problem that only a low COP (coefficient of performance) can be obtained by increasing the input to the compressor while the high and low pressure difference of the refrigeration cycle becomes large.

Furthermore, in the dehumidifier described in Patent Document 2, the cooling water cooled in the cooling tower, that is, the cooling water whose temperature is not lower than the room temperature is supplied to the heat exchanger. Therefore, this dehumidifier also has a problem that it cannot handle the sensible heat load even if it can handle the latent heat load of the indoor space.

The present invention was conceived in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air-conditioning apparatus capable of achieving a high COP while being able to handle both the sensible heat load and the latent heat load of the indoor space.

Solution

In the present invention, a heat exchanger for adjusting air temperature and an adsorption heat exchanger for absorbing and desorbing moisture are provided in a refrigerant circuit, and the air is treated by both the heat exchanger and the adsorption heat exchanger and supplied to the indoor space.

The first invention is based on the premise of an air-conditioning apparatus that includes a refrigerant circuit 40 provided with a heat source side heat exchanger 54 and a use side heat exchanger 55, and performs a refrigerating cycle in the refrigerant circuit 40, The air passing through the use-side exchanger 55 is supplied to the indoor space to treat the sensible heat load and the latent heat load in the room. In addition, this air-conditioning apparatus is configured such that the above-mentioned refrigerant circuit 40 is provided with an adsorption heat exchanger 56 , 57. On the surfaces of the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, an adsorbent for absorbing and desorbing moisture is attached, and the air is circulated in parallel to the above-mentioned use-side heat exchanger 55 and the above-mentioned adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 to be supplied to the indoor space.

In the above-mentioned first invention, the air passing through the use-side heat exchanger 55 is convected to cool or warm the same as the first invention. And, the humidity of the air flowing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 is adjusted according to the adsorption and desorption action of the adsorbent attached to the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57.

And, in this air conditioner, the air flows into the utilization side heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 in parallel, wherein the air of one side flows through the utilization side heat exchanger 55 and is supplied to the indoor space, and the air of the other side flows into the indoor space. After passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, it is supplied to the indoor space.

The second invention is based on the premise of an air-conditioning apparatus that includes a refrigerant circuit 40 provided with a heat source side heat exchanger 54 and a utilization side heat exchanger 55, performs a refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit 40, and The air passing through the use-side exchanger 55 is supplied to the indoor space to treat the sensible heat load and the latent heat load in the room. In addition, this air conditioner is configured such that adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 are provided in the above-mentioned refrigerant circuit 40, and adsorbents for absorbing and desorbing moisture are attached to the surfaces of the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 to allow air It flows in parallel to the above-mentioned heat source side heat exchanger 54 and the above-mentioned adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 and is discharged to the outdoor space.

In the above-mentioned second invention, the air flows through the heat source side heat exchanger 54 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in parallel, one of the air flows through the heat source side heat exchanger 54 and is discharged to the outdoor space, and the other air flow passes through the heat source side heat exchanger 54 The adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 are then discharged to the outdoor space.

The third invention is characterized in that: in the air-conditioning apparatus of the first or second invention, it is configured to alternately repeat the first action and the second action; the first action is to pass through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 Air is supplied to the indoor space, and at the same time, the air passing through the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged to the outdoor space; 1 The air from the adsorption heat exchanger 56 is exhausted to the outdoor space.

In the third invention described above, the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 are provided in the refrigerant circuit 40 of the air-conditioning apparatus. And, in this air conditioner, one of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 performs an adsorption operation for adsorbing moisture in the air, and at the same time, the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the second adsorption heat exchanger The other side of the exchanger 57 performs a desorption operation (regeneration operation) for moisture desorption of the adsorbent.

Invention effect

In the present invention, the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 are provided in the refrigerant circuit 40, and the humidity of the air is adjusted by passing the air through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57. In other words, instead of condensing the moisture in the air to dehumidify the air as in the prior art, the adsorbent absorbs the moisture in the air to dehumidify the air. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the refrigerant evaporation temperature of the refrigerating cycle lower than the air dew point temperature as in the prior art, and the air can be dehumidified even if the refrigerant evaporation temperature is set to be higher than the air dew point temperature. Therefore, according to the present invention, even when air is dehumidified, the refrigerant evaporation temperature of the refrigerating cycle can be set higher than that of Patent Document 1, and the high-low pressure difference of the refrigerating cycle can be reduced. Therefore, the power required for refrigerant compression can be reduced, and the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

According to the above-mentioned first invention, the air is supplied to the indoor space by parallel circulation to the utilization-side heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57. In the case of the device 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, the pressure loss caused by the flow of air becomes smaller. Therefore, the power of the air blower used to ventilate the air can be reduced, and the air blower can be reduced in size. change.

Further, since the air can be processed in parallel in the utilization-side heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, for example, the air volume of the air flowing through the utilization-side heat exchanger 55 and the air flowing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 can be adjusted respectively. The air volume of the air can be adjusted individually, and the temperature and humidity of the air can be adjusted individually. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the air-conditioning of this air-conditioning apparatus is increased, and the comfort of the indoor space can be improved.

According to the above-mentioned second invention, the air is passed through the heat source side heat exchanger 54 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in parallel, and is discharged to the outdoor space. In this way, for example, if the air flows through the heat source side heat exchanger 54 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in a direct flow, the pressure loss caused by the flow of the air becomes small. Therefore, the power of the air blower for ventilating this air can be reduced, and therefore the size of the air blower can be reduced.

According to the above-mentioned third invention, the air treated in one of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 is supplied to the indoor space, while the air treated in the other of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 is supplied to the indoor space. The treated air is discharged to the outdoor space, and the adsorption operation and regeneration operation of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, dehumidification of cold air and humidification of warm air in the indoor space can be performed continuously.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing air flow during a second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerant circuit of the embodiment and the schematic configuration diagram of the operation during the dehumidification and cooling operation.

Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of the refrigerant circuit and the operation during the humidification and heating operation of the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the modified example of the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the modified example of the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the modified example of the second embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the modified example of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 3. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the first operation of the air-conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 3. FIG.

FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of air during the second operation of the air-conditioning apparatus according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 16 shows a conceptual diagram of air flow in the air-conditioning apparatus of Embodiment 3. FIG.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

"Example 1"

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 1. In the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a vapor compression refrigeration cycle is performed by circulating a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 40 to deal with both the sensible heat load and the latent heat load of the indoor space. The refrigerant circuit 40 of this air conditioner 10 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 54 as a heat source side heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger 55 as a utilization side heat exchanger, and two adsorption heat exchangers (first, 2nd adsorption heat exchanger) 56, 57.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the above-mentioned air conditioner 10 is configured as a so-called separate type, and includes an indoor unit 11 and an outdoor unit 12 . The indoor unit 11 has an indoor heat exchanger 55 and is installed in an indoor space. On the other hand, the outdoor unit 12 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 54, a first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and a second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and is installed in an outdoor space. The indoor unit 11 is a so-called wall-mounted type in terms of configuration, and is installed on an indoor wall surface. Furthermore, the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected to each other through a communication pipe of the refrigerant circuit 40, which is not shown in the figure. Furthermore, an air passage is installed between the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12, and the details of this passage will be described later and are not shown.

In the refrigerant circuit 40 of this air conditioner 10 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a compressor 50 and an electric expansion valve 53 are respectively provided, and two four-way switching valves 51 and 52 are provided. In addition, one outdoor heat exchanger 54 and one indoor heat exchanger 55 are provided in the refrigerant circuit 40 , and two adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 are further provided.

The discharge side of the compressor 50 is connected to the first port of the first four-way switching valve 51 , and the suction side of the compressor is connected to the second port of the first four-way switching valve 51 . One end of the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is connected to the third port of the first four-way switching valve 51 , and the other end is connected to the first port of the second four-way switching valve 52 . One end of the indoor heat exchanger 55 is connected to the fourth port of the first four-way switching valve 51 , and the other end is connected to the second port of the second four-way switching valve 52 . In the refrigerant circuit 40 , a first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , an electric expansion valve 53 , and a second adsorption heat exchanger 57 are provided in this order from the third port toward the fourth port of the second four-way switching valve 52 .

The outdoor heat exchanger 54, the indoor heat exchanger 55, and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 are all fin-and-tube heat exchangers composed of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of fins. . Among them, in the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, adsorbents are attached to the surfaces of the cooling fins. As this adsorbent, zeolite, silica gel, and the like are used. On the other hand, the outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the indoor heat exchanger 55 do not have an adhesive agent attached to the surface of each fin, and only perform heat exchange between air and refrigerant.

The above-mentioned first four-way switching valve 51 switches the first state and the second state. In the first state, the first port and the third port communicate with each other and the second port and the fourth port communicate with each other (as shown in FIG. 3 ), and the second port communicates with each other. State 2 is that the first port and the fourth port are connected to each other and the second port and the third port are connected to each other (the state shown in FIG. 4 ). On the other hand, the above-mentioned 2nd four-way switching valve 52 switches the first state and the second state, the first state is that the first port and the third port communicate with each other and the second port and the fourth port communicate with each other (as shown in Figure 3 (A ) and the state shown in Fig. 4 (B), the second state is the second state in which the first port and the fourth port are connected to each other and the second port and the third port are connected to each other (Fig. 3 (B) and Fig. 4 (A ) state shown).

In the above-mentioned configuration, the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of Embodiment 1 is configured such that, as shown in FIGS. 55 to supply to the indoor space. At the same time, the air conditioner 10 is configured to discharge the air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 to the outdoor space through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 . Further, this air conditioner 10 alternately repeats the first operation and the second operation. The first operation is to supply the air that has passed through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to the indoor space while exchanging the air that has passed through the second adsorption heat exchanger 56. The air action of the device 57 is discharged to the outdoor space. The second action is to supply the air that has passed through the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 to the indoor space and at the same time discharge the air that has passed through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to the outdoor space. Batch continuous dehumidification and humidification.

-Operation action-

Next, the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The outdoor air is supplied to the indoor space, and at the same time, the indoor space is air-conditioned and ventilated by processing a part of the indoor air to circulate in the indoor space. In this air-conditioning device 10, once the indoor fan (not shown) and the exhaust fan, the indoor air will be sucked into the indoor unit 11, and on the other hand, the outdoor air will be sucked into the outdoor unit 12.

<Dehumidification and cooling operation>

During dehumidification and air-conditioning operation, as shown in Figure 3, in the refrigerant circuit 40, the first four-way switch valve 51 is set to the first state, and at the same time, the opening of the electric expansion valve 53 is properly adjusted, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 becomes a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 55 becomes an evaporator. And, in this air conditioner 10, alternately repeat the first action and the second action, the first action (Fig. 3 (B) state) is that the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 becomes an evaporator and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 becomes an evaporator. In the second operation (the state of FIG. 3(A) ), the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 becomes an evaporator and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 becomes a condenser.

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 1 , the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 respectively. The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is cooled by depriving the heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as an evaporator. Furthermore, the moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent attached to the first adsorption heat exchanger 56, so that the air is dehumidified. The air cooled and dehumidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) provided between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . This mixed air is further cooled by depriving the heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , which functions as an evaporator. The air thus cooled and dehumidified is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12, the air flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is heated by the condensation heat given by the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the above-mentioned outdoor heat exchanger 54 acts as a condensing device function. The air heated in the outdoor heat exchanger 54 flows into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . This air desorbs moisture from the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the desorbed moisture is supplied to the air. In this way, the air regenerated in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

In the second operation, as shown in FIG. 2 , the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 flows into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 respectively. The air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is cooled by depriving heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 , and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 functions as an evaporator. Furthermore, the moisture in this air is adsorbed by the adsorbent attached to the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, so that this air is dehumidified. The air cooled and dehumidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . This mixed air is further cooled by depriving heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , which functions as an evaporator. The air thus cooled and dehumidified is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12, the air flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is heated by the heat of condensation given by the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the above-mentioned outdoor heat exchanger 54 serves as a condenser. Play a role. The air heated in the outdoor heat exchanger 54 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . This air desorbs moisture from the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and supplies the desorbed moisture to the air. In this way, the air regenerated in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is discharged to the outdoor space.

<Humidification and heating operation>

During humidification and heating operation, as shown in Fig. 4, in the refrigerant circuit 40, the first four-way switching valve 51 is set to the second state, and at the same time, the opening degree of the electric expansion valve 53 is properly adjusted, and the indoor heat exchanger 55 becomes the condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 becomes the evaporator. At the same time, this air-conditioning device 10 alternately repeats the first action and the second action. The first action (the state of FIG. 4(A)) is that the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 becomes a condenser and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 becomes an evaporator. In the second operation (the state of FIG. 4(B) ), the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 serves as a condenser and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 serves as an evaporator.

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 1 , the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 respectively. The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is heated by being supplied with condensation heat by the refrigerant flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as a condenser. Further, this air is humidified by imparting moisture desorbed from the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . The air heated and humidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked by the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . This mixed air is further heated by being given heat of condensation by the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 which functions as a condenser. In this way, the heated and humidified air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, the air sucked into the outdoor unit 12 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 captures the heat of evaporation and is cooled, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 functions as an evaporator. effect. The air cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger 54 flows into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . The moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . In this way, the air supplied with moisture in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

In the second operation, as shown in FIG. 2 , the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 flows into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 respectively. The air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is heated by being given heat of condensation by the refrigerant flowing through the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 functions as a condenser. Furthermore, this air is humidified by giving moisture desorbed from the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . The air heated and humidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . This mixed air is further heated by the heat of condensation given by the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 which functions as a condenser. In this way, the air heated and humidified is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, the air sucked into the outdoor unit 12 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 captures the heat of evaporation and is cooled, and the above-mentioned outdoor heat exchanger 54 serves as an evaporator. Play a role. The air cooled in the outdoor heat exchanger 54 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . The moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . In this way, the air to which moisture has been imparted in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

-Effect of Embodiment 1-

In Embodiment 1, the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 are provided in the refrigerant circuit 40, and the humidity of the air is adjusted by passing the air through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57. In other words, it is not the same as in the prior art. The moisture in the air is condensed to dehumidify the air, but the adsorbent absorbs the moisture in the air to dehumidify the air. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle lower than that of the air as in the conventional technology. dew point temperature, and even if the refrigerant evaporation temperature is set to be greater than or equal to the dew point temperature of the air, the air can be dehumidified.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, when dehumidifying air, the refrigerant evaporation temperature of the refrigerating cycle can be set higher than usual, and the high-low pressure difference of the refrigerating cycle can be reduced. As a result, the power consumption of the compressor 50 can be reduced, and the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

Meanwhile, in Embodiment 1, the air passing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is made to flow to the indoor heat exchanger 55, and this air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space. Therefore, during the dehumidifying and cooling operation, the humidity of the air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55 can be reduced by the adsorption action of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 . Therefore, the amount of condensed water generated when the indoor heat exchanger 55 cools the air can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of, for example, a waste water recovery device provided near the indoor heat exchanger 55 .

Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the air which has passed through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 is mixed with the indoor air, and then flows through the indoor heat exchanger 55. However, the air which has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 55 This air may also be only the outdoor air that has passed through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57. In this case, the amount of condensed water generated when the indoor heat exchanger 55 cools the air can also be reduced for the above reasons.

Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is made to flow through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, and the air is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outside. Therefore, during the dehumidifying and air-cooling operation, the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is not heated by the outdoor heat exchanger 54 compared to the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57. 56, 57 air temperature becomes high temperature. Therefore, the water desorption capacity of the adsorbent in the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is improved, and the regeneration efficiency of the adsorbent is also improved. In this way, when moisture in the air supplied to the indoor space is adsorbed by the adsorbents of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 during dehumidification, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents is also increased. As a result, the dehumidification capability of this air-conditioning apparatus 10 is improved.

On the other hand, during humidification and heating operation, compared with the case where the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is not cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger 54, the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers The air temperature of the devices 56, 57 is low. Therefore, the moisture adsorption capacity of the adsorbents in the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is improved, and the amount of moisture given to the adsorbents is also increased. In this way, the amount of moisture imparted from the adsorbent to the air supplied to the indoor space during humidification also increases. As a result, the humidifying capability of this air conditioning apparatus 10 is improved.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 constitute an adsorption heat exchanger. Therefore, the first operation and the second operation can be alternately repeated, and the dehumidifying and cooling operation and the humidifying and heating operation can be continuously performed.

-Modification of Embodiment 1-

As described above, in Embodiment 1, the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is made to flow to the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, and is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

In contrast, the air conditioner 10 of the modified example is configured to let the air flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in parallel as the operation of discharging the air from the outdoor unit 12 to the air in the outdoor space, and the The air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the air that has passed through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 are processed in parallel and discharged to the outdoor space (see FIGS. It is the same as Example 1.

-Operation action-

The operation of the air-conditioning device 10 of this modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. Air conditioning and ventilation of the indoor space are performed by treating outdoor air and supplying it to the indoor space, and at the same time processing a part of the indoor air to circulate in the indoor space. In this air conditioner 10, if the indoor fan and the exhaust air are operated The fan, in addition to indoor air being sucked into the indoor unit 11, outdoor air is also sucked into the outdoor unit 12, the indoor fan and exhaust fan are not shown.

<Dehumidification and cooling operation>

During the dehumidification and cooling operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in a state as shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 3(B) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 3(A) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, the air sucked into the outdoor unit 12 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , the outdoor heat exchanger 54 , and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 as shown in FIG. 5 .

The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is cooled by depriving the heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as an evaporator. Furthermore, the moisture in this air is adsorbed by the adsorbent attached to the first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and this air is dehumidified. The air cooled and dehumidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) provided between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . The mixed air is further cooled by depriving the heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , which functions as an evaporator. In this way, the cooled and dehumidified air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12, the air flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is heated by the heat of condensation given by the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 functions as a condenser. effect. The air heated by the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is exhausted from the indoor unit 12 to the outdoor space. At the same time, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12, the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is desorbed by the moisture of the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the desorbed moisture is supplied to the air. In this way, the air regenerated in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

On the other hand, in the second operation, as shown in FIG. 6, contrary to the first operation, the air is dehumidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is regenerated by the air. . Other operations are the same as the first operation described above.

<Humidification and heating operation>

During the humidification and heating operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 4(A) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 4(B) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 5 , the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , the outdoor heat exchanger 54 , and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 .

The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is heated by the condensation heat given by the refrigerant in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as a condenser. Furthermore, this air is humidified by giving the moisture desorbed from the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . The air heated and humidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows into the indoor unit 11 through an air passage (not shown) provided between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 . This air is mixed with the indoor air sucked into the indoor unit 11 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 55 . This mixed air is further heated by being given heat of condensation by the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , and the indoor heat exchanger 55 functions as a condenser. The air thus heated and humidified is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12, the air flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 by depriving the heat of evaporation, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 functions as an evaporator. . The air cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger 54 is discharged from the indoor unit 12 to the outdoor space. And, among the air sucked by the outdoor unit 12 , the moisture in the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . In this way, the air to which moisture has been given by the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space.

In the second operation, as shown in FIG. 6 , contrary to the first operation, the air is humidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 , and moisture in the air is given to the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . Other operations are the same as the first operation described above.

In the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of this modified example, the outdoor unit 12 makes the air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 circulate in parallel, and discharges them to the outdoor space. Therefore, the pressure loss caused by the flow of air becomes smaller than that of, for example, direct flow of air through the adsorption heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger. Therefore, the power of the outdoor fan can be reduced, thereby reducing operating costs. In addition, the size of the outdoor fan can be reduced.

"Example 2 of the invention"

Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the air conditioner 10 of the second embodiment is configured as a so-called separate type, and has an indoor unit 11 and an outdoor unit 12 , as in the first embodiment. The refrigerant circuit 40 of this air-conditioning apparatus 10 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 54 , an indoor heat exchanger 55 , and first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 .

The indoor unit 11 includes an indoor heat exchanger 55, a first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and a second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and is installed in an indoor space. On the other hand, the outdoor unit 12 has an outdoor heat exchanger 54 and is installed in an outdoor space.

In the air conditioner 10 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the air is configured to flow through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 included in the indoor unit 12 in parallel, and the The air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the air that has passed through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 are supplied to the indoor space. Furthermore, this air conditioner 10 is configured to discharge the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 to the outdoor space through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 . The configuration other than that in the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

-Operation action-

The operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 10 in Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 , 4 , 7 , and 8 . In the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the dehumidification and cooling operation and the humidification and heating operation are performed. Furthermore, this air conditioner 10 processes indoor air and returns it to the indoor space, and at the same time exhausts a part of the indoor air to the outdoor space, thereby air-conditioning and ventilating the indoor space. In this air conditioner 10 , when the indoor fan and exhaust fan (not shown) are operated, in addition to indoor air being sucked by the indoor unit 11 , outdoor air is sucked by the outdoor unit 12 .

<Dehumidification and cooling operation>

During the dehumidification cooling operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 3(B) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 3(A) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 7 , the air sucked by the indoor unit 11 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , the indoor heat exchanger 55 , and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 .

The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 by capturing the evaporation heat, and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as an evaporator. Further, the air The moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to dehumidify the air. The air cooled and dehumidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

The air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is cooled by depriving the heat of evaporation from the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , and the indoor heat exchanger 55 functions as an evaporator. The air cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55 is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, among the air sucked by the indoor unit 11, the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 desorbs the moisture of the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the desorbed moisture is supplied to the Air. In this way, the air regenerated in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 flows into the outdoor unit 12 through an air passage (not shown) provided between the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 . This air is mixed with the outdoor air sucked into the outdoor unit 12 and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 54 . This mixed air is heated by the heat of condensation given to the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 , and is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 into the outdoor space.

On the other hand, in the second operation, as shown in FIG. 8, contrary to the first operation, the air is dehumidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the air is dehumidified by the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56. regeneration. Other operations are the same as the first operation described above.

<Humidification and heating operation>

During the humidification and heating operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 4(A) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 4(B) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 7 , the air sucked by the indoor unit 11 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , the indoor heat exchanger 55 , and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 .

The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is heated by being given heat of condensation by the refrigerant flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 functions as a condenser. Furthermore, this air is humidified by giving the moisture desorbed from the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 . The air heated and humidified by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

The air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is heated by being given heat of condensation by the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 , and the indoor heat exchanger 55 functions as a condenser. The air heated by the indoor heat exchanger 55 is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

On the other hand, of the air sucked by the indoor unit 11 , the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 supplies moisture to the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . And, this air flows into the outdoor unit 12 through an air passage (not shown) provided between the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 . This air is mixed with the outdoor air sucked into the outdoor unit 12 and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 54 . This mixed air is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 54 by taking heat of evaporation, and is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space, where the outdoor heat exchanger 54 functions as an evaporator.

On the other hand, in the second operation, as shown in FIG. 8 , contrary to the first operation, the air is humidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 , and the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is supplied to the air. of moisture. Other operations are the same as the first operation described above.

-Effect of Embodiment 2-

In embodiment 2, the same as embodiment 1, the humidity of the air is adjusted according to the arrangement of adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 in the refrigerant circuit 40, and the air passes through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57. Therefore, the air dehumidification The refrigerant evaporation temperature of the refrigerating cycle can be set higher than that of the prior art, so the high and low pressure difference of the refrigerating cycle can be reduced. As a result, the power consumption of the compressor 50 can be reduced, and the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigerating cycle can be improved. ).

Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the air is passed through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in parallel, and the air treated individually in the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is supplied to the indoor space. . Therefore, compared with, for example, direct flow of air to the adsorption heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, the pressure loss caused by the flow of air becomes smaller. Therefore, the power of the outdoor fan can be reduced, and this outdoor fan can also be downsized. Further, since the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 can be individually treated, for example, the air volume of the air flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the air volume flowing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 can be individually adjusted. The air volume can be adjusted individually, and the temperature and humidity of the indoor space can be adjusted individually. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the air-conditioning in this air-conditioning apparatus 11 is improved, and the comfort of the indoor space is improved.

Further, in Embodiment 2, the air passing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is made to flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the air is discharged from the outdoor unit 12 to the outdoor space. Therefore, during the humidification and heating operation, the humidity of the air cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger 54 can be reduced by the adsorption action of the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 . Therefore, the amount of condensed water generated when the outdoor heat exchanger 54 cools the air can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of, for example, a drainage recovery device installed near the outdoor heat exchanger 54 . Furthermore, the freezing of the condensed water can be suppressed, so that a device for preventing the freezing is unnecessary or downsized. Therefore, it is possible to arrange this air conditioner to take up less space.

And, in embodiment 2, make the air after passing through the 1st, the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger 56,57 and outdoor air mix, make it flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, however, this flows through the outdoor heat exchanger The air of 54 also can be only the room air after passing through the 1st, the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger 56,57, also can reduce the condensation water amount that produces when outdoor heat exchanger 54 cools air according to above-mentioned reason in this case.

-Modification of Embodiment 2-

This modified example differs from the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of the second embodiment in the flow of the treated air. The air conditioner 10 of this modified example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , is configured to supply the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 to the indoor space by using the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57. This is an operation of supplying air from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space. Furthermore, in this air conditioner 10, there is no above-mentioned air passage between the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 in Embodiment 2, but an unshown exhaust passage is provided in the indoor unit 11 to The treated air is exhausted to the outdoor space. Other than that, the other configurations of the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of this modified example are the same as those of the second embodiment.

-Operation action-

The operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of this modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , and FIGS. 9 and 10 . In the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the dehumidification and cooling operation and the humidification and heating operation are performed. In addition, this air conditioner 10 performs air conditioning and ventilation of the indoor space by returning part of the indoor air to the outdoor space while processing the indoor air back to the indoor space. In this air conditioner 10 , when the indoor fan and exhaust fan (not shown) are operated, in addition to indoor air being sucked by the indoor unit 11 , outdoor air is sucked by the outdoor unit 12 .

<Dehumidification and cooling operation>

During the dehumidification cooling operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 3(B) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 3(A) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, the air sucked by the indoor unit 11 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 as shown in FIG. 9 .

The air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55 serving as an evaporator. Part of this air flows through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the remaining air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space. The air flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is cooled by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 as an evaporator, and further passes through the adsorbent of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to absorb moisture in the air and dehumidify. The air thus cooled and dehumidified is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

And, among the indoor air sucked by the indoor unit 10, the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 desorbs the moisture in the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the desorbed moisture is supplied to the air. . In this way, the air regenerated in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is discharged to the outdoor space through the above-mentioned exhaust passage.

On the other hand, in the second operation, as shown in FIG. 10 , contrary to the first operation, the air is dehumidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is regenerated by air. . Other operations are the same as the first operation described above.

<Humidification and heating operation>

During the humidification and heating operation, the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, in this air-conditioning apparatus 10, the first operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state of FIG. 4(A) and the second operation in which the refrigerant circuit 40 is in the state in FIG. 4(B) are alternately repeated.

In the first operation, the air sucked by the indoor unit 11 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 as shown in FIG. 9 .

The air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is heated by the indoor heat exchanger 55 serving as a condenser. Part of this air flows through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 , and the remaining air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space. The air flowing through the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is supplied with moisture desorbed from the adsorbent of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to be humidified. In this way, the heated and humidified air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space.

And, among the indoor air sucked by the indoor unit 10 , the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 supplies moisture to the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 . And, this air is discharged to the outdoor space through the above-mentioned exhaust passage.

On the other hand, in the second operation, as shown in FIG. 10, contrary to the first operation, the air is humidified by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and the air is supplied to the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56. of moisture. Other operations are the same as the above-mentioned first operation.

In this modified example, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 is made to flow to the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, and this air is supplied from the indoor unit 11 to the indoor space. Therefore, during the dehumidification and cooling operation, the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is compared to the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 without being cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55. The air temperature becomes the low temperature. Therefore, the moisture adsorption capacity of the adsorbent in the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is improved. As a result, the dehumidification capability of this air conditioning apparatus 10 is also improved.

On the other hand, during humidification and heating operation, compared with the case where the indoor heat exchanger 55 does not heat the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, the air flowing through the first and second adsorption heat The air temperature of the exchangers 56 and 57 becomes a high temperature. Therefore, the moisture desorption capacity of the adsorbent in the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is improved. As a result, the humidification capability of this air conditioning device 10 is improved.

And, in this modified example, the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 55 is made to flow to the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57, but it is also possible to make all the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 55 flow to the first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57. The second adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, in this case, can also improve the dehumidification and humidification capabilities for the above reasons.

"Example 3"

Next, the air conditioning apparatus 10 relating to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The refrigerant circuit 40 of this air-conditioning apparatus 10 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 54 , an indoor heat exchanger 55 , and first and second adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 . The configuration of this refrigerant circuit 40 is the same as that of the first and second embodiments described above, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the air conditioner 10 described above is configured as a so-called separate type, and includes an indoor unit 11 and an outdoor unit 12 . The indoor unit 11 has an indoor heat exchanger 55 and is installed in an indoor space. This indoor unit 11 is configured as a so-called wall-mounted type, and is installed on a wall surface indoors. On the other hand, the outdoor unit 12 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 54, a first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and a second adsorption heat exchanger 57, and is installed in an outdoor space. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13 , the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 are connected to each other through the gas side communication line 43 and the liquid side communication line 44 of the refrigerant circuit 40 . In addition, the outdoor protective box 13 of the outdoor unit 12 accommodates the other compressor 50 of the outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the outdoor fan 14 .

The indoor unit 11 has an indoor casing 20 formed of a horizontally wide box. In the indoor protective box 20, the indoor heat exchanger 55, the 1st adsorption heat exchanger 56, and the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger 57 are attached to the front surface. More specifically, a first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and a second adsorption heat exchanger 57 are attached to the left and right on the front upper portion of the indoor protective box 20 . The first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is placed on the left side, and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is placed on the right side, respectively, in a state in which the indoor protective box 20 is viewed from the front side. In the front of the indoor protective box 20, below the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57, an indoor heat exchanger 55 is installed, and the discharge port 26 is opened below the indoor heat exchanger 55.

The inner space of the indoor protective box 20 is partitioned into a front side and a back side. The space on the rear side of the indoor protective box 20 constitutes an exhaust passage 24 . The space on the front side in the indoor protective box 20 is partitioned up and down. The lower space among the spaces on the front side is located on the back side of the indoor heat exchanger 55 and constitutes the air supply passage 23 . On the other hand, the space on the upper side among the spaces on the front side is further divided into left and right. Furthermore, the first adsorption space 21 located on the back side of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 on the left side and the second adsorption space 22 located on the back side of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 on the right side are respectively configured.

An exhaust fan 32 is housed in the exhaust passage 24 in the indoor protective box 20 . Furthermore, an exhaust duct 25 that opens outdoors is connected to the exhaust passage 24 . On the other hand, the air supply passage 23 accommodates an indoor fan 31 . This air supply passage 23 communicates with the discharge port 26 .

In the indoor protective box 20, four switch-type dampers (dampers) 33-36 are provided. Specifically, a first air supply baffle 33 is provided between the first adsorption space 21 and the air supply passage 23 , and a first exhaust baffle 34 is provided between the first adsorption space 21 and the exhaust passage 24 . Furthermore, a second air supply damper 35 is provided between the second adsorption space 22 and the air supply passage 23 , and a second exhaust damper 36 is provided between the second adsorption space 22 and the exhaust passage 24 .

In the above configuration, this air conditioner 10, as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, makes the air flow through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 provided in the indoor unit 11 in parallel, and supplies the air through the above-mentioned indoor heat exchangers. The air in the heat exchanger 55 and the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 dehumidify or humidify the indoor space.

-Operation action-

In the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the dehumidifying and cooling operation and the humidifying and heating operation are performed, and only the dehumidifying and cooling operation of this air-conditioning apparatus 10 will be described here.

In this air conditioner 10, when the indoor fan 31 and the exhaust fan 32 are operated, the indoor air flows into the indoor heat exchanger 55, the first adsorption heat exchanger 56, and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 respectively. And, if Running the outdoor fan 14, the outdoor air will flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 54.

In the dehumidification and air-conditioning operation, as shown in Figure 3, in the refrigerant circuit 40, the first four-way switch valve 51 is set to the first state, and at the same time, the opening degree of the electric expansion valve 53 is properly adjusted, and the outdoor heat exchanger 54 becomes the condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 55 becomes the evaporator. And, in this air conditioner 10, the first operation (the state of FIG. 3(B) ) in which the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 becomes an evaporator and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 becomes a condenser, and the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 are alternately repeated. The exchanger 57 serves as an evaporator and the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 serves as a condenser in the second operation (state of FIG. 3(A) ).

In the first operation, as shown in FIG. 14 , the first air supply damper 33 and the second exhaust damper 36 are opened, and the first exhaust damper 34 and the second air supply damper 35 are closed. And, the flow of air becomes the state shown in FIG. 11 .

The air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 is cooled by the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 as an evaporator, and further passes through the adsorbent of the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 to absorb moisture in the air and dehumidify it. The air dehumidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows from the first adsorption space 21 through the first air supply damper 33 into the air supply passage 23 . On the other hand, the air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55 serving as an evaporator. Then, the air cooled in the indoor heat exchanger 55 is mixed with the air dehumidified and cooled in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 in the air supply passage 23 . And, this mixed air is supplied to the indoor space from the discharge port 26 .

Simultaneously, the air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 desorbs moisture from the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 and supplies this moisture to the air. In this way, the regenerated air of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 flows from the second adsorption space 22 through the second exhaust damper 36 into the exhaust passage 24 and is exhausted to the outdoor space through the exhaust duct 25 .

In the second operation, as shown in FIG. 15 , the first exhaust damper 34 and the second air supply damper 35 are opened, and the first air supply damper 33 and the second exhaust damper 36 are closed. And, the flow of air becomes the state shown in FIG. 12 .

The air flowing into the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 is cooled by the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 serving as an evaporator, and further passes through the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 to absorb moisture in the air and dehumidify it. The air dehumidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 flows from the second adsorption space 22 through the second air supply damper 35 into the air supply passage 23 . On the other hand, the air flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 55 is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger 55 serving as an evaporator. Then, the air cooled in the indoor heat exchanger 55 is mixed with the air dehumidified and cooled in the second adsorption heat exchanger 57 in the air supply passage 23 . And, this mixed air is supplied to the indoor space from the discharge port 26 .

Then, the air flowing into the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 desorbs moisture from the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 and supplies the moisture to the air. The air thus regenerated in the first adsorption heat exchanger 56 flows from the first adsorption space 21 through the first exhaust damper 34 into the exhaust passage 24 and is exhausted to the outdoor space through the exhaust duct 25 .

-Effect of Embodiment 3-

In Example 3, as in Examples 1 and 2, the humidity of the air is adjusted by providing adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in the refrigerant circuit 40 and passing the air through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 . Therefore, when dehumidifying the air, the refrigerant evaporation temperature of the refrigerating cycle can be set higher than that set in the prior art, and the high and low pressure difference of the refrigerating cycle can be reduced. As a result, the power consumption of the compressor 50 can be reduced, and the COP (coefficient of performance) of the refrigeration cycle can be improved.

Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, the air is supplied to the indoor space by passing the air through the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 in parallel, and the air treated individually by the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 supplied to the interior space. Therefore, the pressure loss caused by the flow of air becomes smaller than that of, for example, direct flow of air through the adsorption heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger. Therefore, the power of the indoor fan 31 can be reduced, and the size of the indoor fan 31 can be reduced. At the same time, the design of the air-conditioning device 10 can be made less space-consuming.

-Modification of Embodiment 3-

In this modified example, in the air-conditioning apparatus 10 of the third embodiment, the flow of air is partially changed. In this air-conditioning device 10, as shown in FIG. 16, in addition to exhausting the air from indoors to the outdoors, the outdoor air sucked in from the outdoors is introduced into one of the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, and the adsorption heat The air from the exchangers 56, 57 is exhausted to the outside. At this time, during dehumidification and cooling operation, indoor air and outdoor air are supplied to both the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 serving as condensers, and the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 is discharged to the outdoor space.

According to this modified example, the amount of exhaust gas passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 can be set to be larger than the amount of exhaust gas from the room. Therefore, during the dehumidification cooling operation, the air volume passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 serving as condensers can be increased so that the regeneration of the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 can be sufficiently performed. In addition, during the humidification and heating operation, the air volume passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 serving as evaporators can be increased to increase the amount of moisture adsorbed by the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 .

"Other Embodiments"

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the following configurations are also possible.

As described in the above-mentioned embodiments, the air conditioner 10 is configured such that the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 is made to flow through the first air supply form of the indoor heat exchanger 55, and the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 55 The second air supply form in which the air flows through the adsorption heat exchanger, or the third air supply form in which the indoor heat exchanger 55 and the adsorption heat exchangers 56 and 57 flow in parallel, are used as an action of supplying air to the indoor space. In addition, as described in the above-mentioned embodiment, the air conditioner 10 is configured to perform the first exhaust form in which the air passing through the adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57 flows through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, and the air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger. The air at 54 flows through the second exhaust form of adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, or the third exhaust form of parallel circulation of outdoor heat exchanger 54 and adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, as the air is discharged from the outdoor space. Such a combination of air supply form and exhaust pattern may be a combination of any one of the first, second, and third air supply forms and any one of the first, second, and third exhaust forms.

In addition, this air conditioner 10 supplies air to the indoor space in one of the first, second, and third air supply forms, and on the other hand, during the operation of discharging the air to the outdoor space, it may be Except for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd exhaust forms. Further, this air conditioner 10, on the one hand, can exhaust air to the outdoor space in any one of the first, second, and third exhaust modes 1; Among them, other than the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd air supply forms are also possible.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerant circuit 40 is provided with two adsorption heat exchangers 56, 57, but this adsorption heat exchanger may be one. In this case, dehumidification or humidification by intermittent operation can be performed by alternately performing adsorption operation and regeneration operation by the adsorption heat exchanger.

Further, in this embodiment, the refrigerant circuit 40 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 55 as a use-side heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger 54 as a heat source-side heat exchanger. Here, the above-mentioned use-side heat exchanger does not necessarily have to be installed in an indoor space, and may be installed in an outdoor space. Furthermore, the above-mentioned heat source side heat exchanger does not necessarily have to be installed in an outdoor space, and may be installed in an indoor space. Furthermore, a plurality of the aforementioned use-side heat exchangers and heat source-side heat exchangers may be provided in the refrigerant circuit.

Industrial Utilization Possibility

As described above, the present invention is very useful for an air conditioner that performs sensible heat load and latent heat load in a refrigeration cycle processing chamber.

Claims (3)

1. conditioner, possessed the refrigerant loop that is provided with the heat source side heat exchanger and utilizes the side heat exchanger, carry out freeze cycle at described refrigerant loop, come sensible heat load and latent heat load in the process chamber and will supply to the interior space, it is characterized in that by the described air that utilizes the side heat exchanger:

Be provided with adsorption heat exchanger at described refrigerant loop, have in described adsorption heat exchanger surface attachment and carry out the adsorbent that the moisture suction is taken off;

Constitute, allow the air parallel flow lead to and describedly utilize side heat exchanger and described adsorption heat exchanger and supply to the interior space.

2. conditioner, possessed the refrigerant loop that is provided with the heat source side heat exchanger and utilizes the side heat exchanger, carry out freeze cycle at described refrigerant loop, come sensible heat load and latent heat load in the process chamber and will supply to the interior space, it is characterized in that by the described air that utilizes the side heat exchanger:

Be provided with adsorption heat exchanger at described refrigerant loop, have in described adsorption heat exchanger surface attachment and carry out the adsorbent that the moisture suction is taken off;

Constitute, allow the air parallel flow lead to described heat source side heat exchanger and described adsorption heat exchanger and air is discharged to the exterior space.

3. conditioner according to claim 1 and 2 is characterized in that:

Adsorption heat exchanger is made of the 1st adsorption heat exchanger and the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger,

Constitute and alternately repeat the 1st action and the 2nd action, the 1st action is that the air by described the 1st adsorption heat exchanger is supplied to the interior space, will be discharged to the exterior space by the air of described the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger simultaneously, and the 2nd action is that the air by described the 2nd adsorption heat exchanger is supplied to the interior space, will be discharged to the exterior space by the air of above-mentioned the 1st adsorption heat exchanger simultaneously.

Images